Suspicious packages shut down parts of Metro Red, Purple lines

Suspicious packages left on the tracks at the Westlake/MacArthur Park station forced officials to shut down service on parts of Metro's Red and Purple lines. (Los Angeles Times)

Service on Metro's Red and Purple lines was disrupted Thursday evening during the rush hour commute after the bomb squad was called to the tracks of a central Los Angeles subway station on reports of suspicious packages, authorities said.

About 6 p.m., a man carrying about three packages was seen leaping from the platform onto the tracks at the MacArthur Park station. Witnesses said he jumped back to the platform without the packages, said Metro spokesman Paul Gonzales.

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Service between the 7th Street/Metro Center station and the Wilshire/Vermont station was halted. A bus shuttle was set up to transport riders between the closed stations, Gonzales said. Other sections of both lines remained open.

Los Angeles sheriff's deputies have recovered at least one package from under the station's platform. A sheriff's department bomb squad arrived on scene to recover the remaining packages, Gonzales said.